Turn with me to 1 Timothy 1:15 ; it says “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”
We will reflect on this verse in a few moments.
This is the season of Christmas. Many people think about Jesus during this time; even the unbelievers. For political leaders in our country too, it’s a time for thinking about Christians and Jesus. The PM and his cabinet ministers are all eager to know something about who Jesus is. And this time is appropriate for these political leaders to call for Christian leaders and have interactions with them. And for us it is an opportunity to share Jesus with them.
In the world, we see the commerce of Christmas; for many people it is just holidays and shopping. And the malls are willing to shell out a few bucks, create a Santa Claus and attract people by offering discounts and gifts. And the malls do end up making a fast-buck profit.
But today, I would like to share about why Jesus came into this world. Jesus always existed-even before the world began. Jesus was, and is and is to come. From eternity past to all of eternity, He exists. But at some point in history, He stepped into this world. Why did He do that? Paul offers this reason in 1 Tim. 1:15;
- He came to save sinners
This is a trustworthy saying; it is truth. Worthy of ALL acceptance…you see, today we find so many denominations among Christians; differences in ideas and theories, differences in form of worship…but here is something that every Christian will accept; and that is ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’.
He came to save sinners! Jesus said that He came to ‘seek and save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10). “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Even today, it is the heart cry of Jesus Christ…to save sinners! No matter who you are, and no matter what sin you've committed, Jesus Christ's offer still stands…He alone can save you from your sins.
God's mercy extends even to the worst of sinners. Do you remember Paul confessing, that he was not worthy to be called an apostle, because he persecuted the church of God
If you are saved from sins, now where does that get you? Simple, it gets you LIFE. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life”. You see, we were not in eternity past…our origin is here on earth at some point of time…But what Jesus offers is a share in the eternity future. Jesus calls you and me to be a part of eternal life. A LIFE as it was meant to be. We, the body of Christ, have this proclamation in us that in Jesus, a sinner is turned into a Saint.
- He came to bring division
Turn with me to Luke 12:51. Jesus says, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division”
Jesus came to set apart the True from the False. There is going to be a division; and there's going to be opposition when you decide to take hold of Jesus' LIFE offer. The following verse (v52) says, that ‘from now on five in one house will be divided; three against two and two against three’.
Even in our fellowship, we have members who are alienated from their family members because they chose the offer of Jesus. For them, at times it may be painful and difficult to tear away. Some even tend to fall away due to pressures within the family. For them, I would like to read from Psalm 45: 10, 11. It says “Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father's house; So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.”
Jesus says, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).
- Jesus came to give light
Yes, once you make a choice, there is bound to be division. A division - between truth and deceit; between light and darkness; between life and death. In John 1:9 we see John the Baptist, bearing witness of this Light; the true Light which gives light to every man coming into this world. And Jesus declares in John 8:12, ‘I am the Light of the world’. All who came before Him were thieves and robbers!
In His light, we see and in His light we walk! And by His light we are enlightened even today. Paul prays for the Ephesians; ‘the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling’.
This is a privilege for us here to know Jesus not only as our Savior, but also a Guide-One who shows us the Way. The psalmist prays “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” Even today, God continues His revelation through His Word. We can know Jesus as more than just a Savior! As we walk in His light, we can increasingly know Him and see the riches of His treasure stored up for each one of us.
- He came to do the Father's will
In John 6:38, we see Jesus saying, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Jesus knew exactly what to do! He came for a purpose; and He fulfilled it. Through Jesus, we too can know the Father's will for our own lives; whether things those are pleasant, or those unpleasant – Jesus fulfilled every written word about Him. In Hebrews 10:7, it is written about Jesus, “Then I said, Behold, I have come- in the volume of the book it is written of Me- To do Your will, O God.”
- He came to fulfill the law and not abolish it
In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill”
Quite a few believers have this idea, that we are no longer under the law and therefore need not follow it. But quite the contrary is true! Jesus did not abolish the law, but He came to fulfill it. Placed right after the Sermon on the Mount, these verses offer an insight of what we are called to do as believers. It's no longer outward deeds, but matters concerning the heart. Jesus, instead of abolishing the Law, has raised the bar to a higher level. And those who are in Jesus Christ are going to fulfill it too.
In v20 we read Jesus saying, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven”. There you are – as neat as can be said. Read through the following verses – In the old law, it was Do not murder; in the new Do not be angry: In the old law, it was Do not commit adultery; in the new, it is Do not lust. In the old, it was Do not swear false oaths to God; in the new ‘Do not swear at all; Let your Yes be Yes and your No No. That's an entirely new level of thinking! Jesus dealt with the root of the problem and not the manifestation of the problem. And in so doing Jesus fulfilled the entire law.
- He came to serve
In Matthew 20:28, Jesus says, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve…”
Jesus came to serve; an awesome wonder! The Servant King! And we follow in His footsteps to serve others. Yes, God will lead you to minister and to serve others in need, wherever you may be. Maybe it is serving God's people, too. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”.
- He came to give abundant life
Jesus says in John 10:10, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Ah, this is a familiar verse for most of us. The abundant life!
But this does not mean abundance of things in life; or abundance of wealth in life – but just abundant LIFE. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…” In the original Greek, the word give really means bequeath – a term used for transfer of wealth by means of a will after the owner's death. In a similar manner, this peace, is a great treasure left to us-God's own children, by Jesus Himself.
In John 15:11 Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full”
What a treasure again! His joy bequeathed to us! No true Christian can complain he lacks the treasures of peace and joy – whatever else he may feel he lacks.
I have talked to wealthy businessmen and so-called successful entrepreneurs. But you know what I find? I have something they don't have; they can't comprehend – the joy and peace from Jesus. The kingdom of God
In the history of this world, many kingdoms rose and fell – some 100 years before, the British kingdom was a force to reckon with- and they occupied many countries of the world. Now the British kingdom is restricted to a particular place-UK
Jesus came to set up a kingdom – a kingdom that will never end. A kingdom - that can only increase; a kingdom - of everlasting peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:7). And we are part of His kingdom; and kingdom life starts here-on earth. Yes, a foretaste of life eternal. (Is this not success? To have this blessed assurance of eternal life).
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Yes, even our Lord Jesus Christ! He came to save sinners, no matter how bad; He came to divide the light from the darkness, to shine on us and enable us to walk as children of light. He came to do the Father's will. He came to fulfill the Law and not abolish it and raised the bar for us to walk in holiness. He came to serve and asked us to follow His example. And He came to give the abundant life of righteousness, peace and joy. Have you taken His offer-seriously?
Shall we pray?
Thank You, O Lord, for opening our eyes of understanding, and drawing us closer to you, day-by-day. Thank You for all that You have done for us. We pray that we may have this ‘good news’ – the gospel, of why you came here, in our hearts and in our mouths this season. Make us a blessing. In Your holy name, we pray, Amen.
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